


Come Back

by Cristinuke



Category: Arrival (2016)
Genre: Angst, Extended (and happier) ending, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Non-Linear Narrative, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 15:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8629063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cristinuke/pseuds/Cristinuke
Summary: A little more insights into the lives of Louise and Ian.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the movie, clearly.

“Pa-lin-drome.” Louise enunciated each sound clearly. “Now you try.”

“Pah-len-dome.”

“That was a good try! Do you know want to know what it means?”

Hannah bounced excitedly on Louise’s lap. “Yes, please!”

“It means you can read your name forward and backward, and it reads the same.” Hannah’s brown eyes widened, looking far too big for her small face.

“Really?”

“Really. I’ll prove it to you. Let’s spell your name, ready?” Hannah nodded quickly, eager. “Spell it with me, H-A-N-N-A-H.”

Hannah looked proud of herself as she spoke along.

“Okay, now we’re going to spell it backwards, ready? H-A-N-N-A-H.”

“It’s the same!” Hannah cried out, proud.

“You’re right, baby. It’s the same. Isn’t that special? Palindrome.”

“Pah-len-dome.” She repeated, her eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Then her face lit up in animation, an idea visibly forming in her head. “Can I go tell my daddy?”

“Of course, baby. Go show him what you learned.”

O

“Mommy! Mommy! I went pee-pee in the potty!” The little girl came running, bare feet pattering lightly against the hardwood floor. Louise looked up from her book and felt her face break out into a grin as she saw her daughter launch herself onto the sofa where Louise was curled up on.

“You did? Congrats, baby.” Louise reached out and was met with a bundle of excited toddler.

“She even flushed the toilet all by herself.” Louise tore her eyes away from her daughter to see Ian leaning against the banister by the stairs. His hair was slightly overgrown and messy, but the proud grin on his face made him look years younger. She felt grateful to see how healthy he looked, back to his normal weight. He held himself easily, stress evaporated, leaving nothing but a happy father. It made Louise fall in love all over again.

Louise fervently always wanted him to be this happy.

O

“What happens now?” Ian asked, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

Colonel Weber barely spared him a glance, instead speaking directly to Louise, “You’ve got a busy future ahead of you. I imagine you’ll be requested to speak to the other eleven sites, never mind the UN.”

Louise felt Ian’s hand slip back into hers to give her a quick squeeze. She squeezed back and spoke, “I’d settle for some sleep first, Colonel.” She offered up a small smile, and felt vindicated when the Colonel’s face softened to smile back.

“You did good. Both of you. I may not understand how you did what you did, but I know that this was a victory.”

“For all of humanity.” Ian added. Colonel Weber tipped his head in concurrence.

“We’ve got a long flight to D.C. Get some sleep.”

“Thank you.” Louise doubted she’d sleep with all the noise of the helicopter, but when she felt Ian tug her against him, she went easily, resting her head against his shoulder. With their hands entwined and his thumb gently rubbing against hers, she couldn’t deny that relaxing against Ian was an inviting thought.

O

 “And that one is called Ursa Major, though a lot of people call it the Big Dipper.” Ian pointed out each shining star. Their daughter was enraptured with everything Ian told her, reminding Louise of herself so many years ago when they had star gazed in this very same spot.

“What about that one? Abby from school told me about that one, but I don’t remember. The one that’s shaped like an ‘M’?”

“Oh, that’s Cassiopeia. Do you see it?” Ian helped her point to each major star of the constellation.

“Can birds fly to the stars?” She asked excitedly. “Can I fly to the stars?”

Ian gathered her in his arms, kissing her head first before answering. “Birds can’t. But you can. With a lot of help. And math.”

Her predictable groan made both Ian and Louise chuckle.

“Your daddy is a math nerd, baby. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad.” Louise smiled unabashedly to Ian, and he returned the sentiment by leaning in and kissing her.

“Ewww, mommies and daddies shouldn’t be allowed to kiss.”

“Oh? Well, then I guess we can’t kiss you anymore, then.”

She cried out indignantly, “Wait, no!”

With another chuckle, Louise and Ian both went in to kiss their daughter silly.

O

“What are you telling me, Louise?” Ian’s voice was shaky, and Louise wanted to stop, wanted to close her mouth and never say a word. She wanted to spare him. But she knew she couldn’t.

She knew she _wouldn’t_.

“Ian, please…” She tried, but Ian shook his head. Louise kept going, “She’s not healthy. She won’t be healthy. Ian.” Louise reached out for her husband, arm stretched out to touch, but Ian jerked away, not letting her make contact. She ached for him, wanted to reach him, wanted his arms around her one last time. But she knew. She _knew_.

“She’s going to get sick.” Louise finished, trying to ignore the tears that welled up in her eyes.

“Stop it. Stop it right now.” Ian gritted out, backing up a step away from her. He bumped against the kitchen counter and his hands came up to grip the edge. Louise stayed where she stood, the sofa behind her.

“Ian—”

“No! Shut up! You can’t do this to me. You can’t—, you can’t tell me Hannah— oh god, _Hannah”_ —

He went down to his knees and buried his head in his hands. His shoulders shook silently, and Louise couldn’t bare it any longer. She moved in and folded to her knees, her hands hovering over his head, fingers yearning to card through his hair and tell him everything was going to be okay.

“How long.” He rasped out, voice thick and wet. Louise retreated her hands, never closing that final gap. “How long do we have, Louise.”

She wanted to lie, smile and take it back.

Instead, she spewed out more truth.

“Four years.”

Ian recoiled and moved backwards, backing up into the bar chairs. The stools scraped loudly in the oppressive atmosphere and Louise closed her eyes against the incoming onslaught.

“Four years?” Ian’s voice was forcibly emotionless. It was terrifying. “Hannah— our _daughter_ — is going to d-die. In four years.”

Louise couldn’t even nod. She didn’t have to, it turned out.

“How _dare_ you? How dare you, Louise!” She finally opened her eyes and wished she hadn’t. Ian’s face was contorted in pain and anger, with eyes wide and red-rimmed. He was shaking and crying, and she’d done this. She’d done this to him.

“You had no right! _No right_ , Louise!” He screamed at her, finger pointed at her accusingly. “You _knew_ and you did nothing.”

“It’s my daughter, Ian, my life!” Louise argued back, sudden emotion rising and falling like a wave in the ocean, too fleeting to hold on to.

“It wasn’t just your life you were influencing, Louise. It’s my life too. It should have been my choice too—”

“What choice is that? To not have had Hannah in the first place?” Louise gritted out, another wave crashing on her. She wasn’t keeping her emotions in check and it was exhausting.

“I swear to god, if you say something about ‘better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all’ bullshit—”

“What else was I supposed to do, Ian? It’s Hannah. I never had a choice, not when it came to her.” Louise desperately tried to appeal to her husband, but she remembered how this played out. It didn’t make it any less painful.

With all the shouting they were doing, Louise was glad that Hannah wasn’t home; she was at her first sleep-away camp— space camp, to be exact— something Ian had been so, _so_ proud of. Now, Louise doubted any of that mattered to him. He’d just learned his eight-year-old was going to die and there would be nothing he could do about it. He was as helpless as Louise was, as helpless as she’d known they’d be. She’d always know.

“Fuck you, Louise. You are the most selfish woman I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.”

Louise recoiled and lowered her head. “I know.” She whispered quietly.

Ian stood up suddenly, making Louise jump backwards and scramble to her feet. For a moment the two of them stood there, facing each other, broken and torn down. All defenses gone, all emotion spent yet still somehow battering on.

“Did you see me leaving?” Ian asked abruptly, viciously. Louise opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

Ian smiled joylessly, “Guess you did.”

He grabbed his keys from the table and his jacket that was slung over a chair. He paused, hand gripping the back of the chair. Louise held her breath.

Finally, Ian said, “You made the wrong choice, Louise,” and walked away.

O

The door opening quietly was enough to rouse her from her doze. She looked down and was filled with joy and love all over again as she watched her baby sleeping in her arms. A soft hum made Louise look up. She felt her smile widen as she watched Ian walk over to the bed, an arm tucked behind his back as if hiding something.

“Did I wake you?” Ian whispered, looking between Louise and the baby, a soft expression on his face.

“That’s okay. I’m going to have to get up and pee soon anyway. What did you bring?”  She wiggled her head jokingly as if trying to see what Ian was holding out of view, and his grin widened.

“I brought a present.” He sat down carefully on the side of the bed, pulling his arm out into view, and with it, a plush kangaroo. It looked like one of those beanie babies that Louise used to collect as a child, and Louise had to stifle a laugh, glancing quickly to see if her movement might wake the baby.

“That’s perfect.” She whispered, watching as Ian had the kangaroo kiss Hannah’s rosy little cheek.

O

“Where are you taking me?” Louise laughed out breathlessly as she was pulled along the tall, dry grass. She couldn’t see anything in front of her except for Ian’s hand and arm as he guided her through the empty field. It reminded her a lot of Montana, but the air was warmer and clearer with summer. It was her first time visiting Los Alamos, Ian’s home, but it wouldn’t be her last. They were going to come back three more times, the next with an additional passenger. But this first time was always exciting, the desert landscape more open than Louise was used to.

“We’re almost there, just a little bit further!” Ian called over his shoulder, still tugging her behind him. He sounded breathless as well, excited to show her something.

They trotted along the dirt field for a few more minutes, occasionally catching a bout of contagious laughter that interspersed the night air.

“We’re here.” Ian proclaimed when they reached a clearing. It stretched for miles, the horizon blending into the sky. Louise didn’t get a chance to appreciate the finer details before Ian plopped down on the ground, hand still holding hers. His weight suddenly pulling her downwards had her nearly falling on top of him, making her squeak in surprise. “I gotcha right here,” Ian promised her.

He helped settle her against him so that they were both lying down on their backs, Louise’s head resting comfortably on Ian’s arm and shoulder. “Look up.” Ian whispered, and Louise did.

Not a single cloud was in sight, and the new moon allowed the expansive sky of stars to shine brighter than Louise had ever seen them. It was gorgeous, the Milky Way seeming to illuminate all of space. Louise didn’t know every constellation, but the ones she knew were vivid and intense, nothing like the polluted versions she was familiar with.

“Oh, wow.” She breathed out in awe. She didn’t know where to focus on, wanting to see everything at the exact same time. Her eyes kept sweeping from star to star, constellation to constellation, trying to memorize every pattern and design, only to go back to the same spot and start again, each time somehow feeling different yet known.

“This used to be my favorite place to be. I’d come out here for hours and just watch the sky move. Meteor showers and shooting stars. Satellites and the occasional plane. I used to dream about spaceships and aliens traveling across there, maybe even stopping by. Never thought I’d actually see it come true.” Ian gazed above them, speaking quietly, but Louise could hear the beautiful passion in his words. He was in love with it all, and she could see it plainly in the star shine on his face.

“I can see why. This is gorgeous, Ian. Thank you.”

Ian tightened his grip to hug her and then relaxed, watching the night sky.

“Wait, ‘used to’ be your favorite place? Why ‘used to?’” She wondered aloud.

Ian turned his head away from the stars to look at her, face serious. “Well, my favorite place now is wherever you are.”   

Without even thinking about it, Louise surged forward and kissed him.

“I love you.” The words were always there, always ready to be spoken, and finally she was free to confess them.

“I love you too, Louise.” His words tasted like the stars and she couldn’t help but go back for more.

 “Teach me the universe.” Louise asked, helpless to fall even more in love with the adoring look Ian gave her.

O

“What’s the point? If you can see the future and can’t change anything about it, then it’s a moot point. It’s pain just to feel pain. It’d be as if you’re tied down, watching a car coming down the road to hit you and you being unable to move out of the way, even though you knew you would die if you stayed.

But if you can see the future and can change something, then what the fuck are you looking at? Because it sure isn’t the future anymore.”

 Louise knew Ian’s struggle, knew he had a really hard time understanding everything. She knew he had a hard time trying to fit his preconceived world of a circle into the new dimensional square peg of Louise’s. She knew that she herself sometimes still struggled.

So she let him exhaust his rants and arguments against her, knowing it was pointless.

“Hannah has a dentist appointment on Monday. I can take her if you—”

“I’m taking her.” Ian interrupted briskly and hung up.

Louise slowly set her phone on the table and buried her face in her hands, not bothering to stop the tears this time.

O

“Hey, shh, shh, it’s okay sweetie, c’mere.” Ian’s soft voice woke her up. Louise squinted, trying to understand what was happening, when she heard quiet sniffling.

“C’mere, that’s it, baby. Did you have a nightmare?” Louise sat up and turned on the light, only to see Ian cradling his daughter who nodded miserably against his shoulder.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. It was just a dream. You’re okay.”  Ian’s reassurances did quick work to calm her enough to yawn, and Louise slipped her fingers in her hand.

“Do you want to sleep here with us?” Louise asked, noticing the way the grip on her fingers tightened.

A soft affirmative made Louise and Ian shift around in the bed until their child laid comfortably between them.

Louise hated the pain that had caused her baby to wake up, wanted to take it from her and experience it herself so that no one else would have to. But despite that, Louise fell asleep feeling this moment was perfect with Ian lulling them all with gentle consolations, the three of them together.

O

“Holy shit.”

Louise flushed red, embarrassed. “What? Too much?” She turned around, trying to look at herself, but not able to see from her angle.

“No, god no. Fuck. You look…” Ian’s words trailed off as he stared.

“That bad?” Louise prompted, self-consciousness rising up at breakneck speed.

Ian walked close enough to put his hands on her arms, stilling her futile twirling. “You look fucking gorgeous, Louise.”

Louise’s flush softened to a healthy blush as she ducked her head. Ian curled a finger and lightly tipped her chin upwards so that she faced him again. They were standing so close together and suddenly she could feel the electric tension between them.

“You’re incredible. Absolutely stunning. And I’ve never been more honored than to be your arm candy tonight.”

That garnered a shaky laugh from her, making Ian smile in victory. “You’re going to knock ‘em dead, language nerd.”

Louise flat out snickered at that, mock hitting him in the chest. “You’re the nerd, math nerd.”

“Incredible comeback from Dr. Louise Banks. That one’s going to go down in history, folks.” Ian announced in a fake announcer voice, making Louise crack up even more.

After a few more moments, they both calmed down enough, happy smiles lingering on their faces as they watched each other, never breaking eye contact. Finally, Ian moved in and pressed a kiss against her lips, a chaste thing. He broke away after only a second, but he stayed in her space, both of them letting out an exhilarated breath. Then Louise stepped forward and reclaimed his mouth, deepening the kiss as Ian pulled her tight against him, hand splayed out on the back of her dress.

A forced cough interrupted them both and they consciously stepped away from each other to face the newcomer.

“I do apologize, but the gala is ready to receive you now, Dr. Banks. The announcement is happening shortly.” The server relaying the news had a small smirk on her face, and Louise had the distinct notion that she was being judged. Judged in favor of approval, it looked like, if the server’s eyes flickering towards Ian were any indication.

“Thank you, I’ll be right there.” Louise told her graciously, and the server nodded before stepping away.

“Why do I get the feeling that that’s going to end up on some social media tonight?” Ian murmured behind Louise. When she turned around, Ian was grinning, completely unashamed.

“I’m surprised she didn’t snap a picture.” Louise bantered back.

“I have a proposition for you, Dr. Banks.” Ian started as he dramatically offered his hand for Louise to reach for.

“I’m listening, Dr. Donnelly.” Louise replied smoothly, following as Ian started leading them towards the gala doors.

“How about we finish our previous conversation after the ceremony?” Ian turned his head sideways towards her and winked.

Louise forcibly stifled another bout of giggles before composing herself and replying in a prim voice, “I do believe I will accept this proposition.”

“Then, let’s do this bitch.” Ian whispered before opening the door for Louise.

Louise didn’t have time to curse him before bright lights shone on her face, blinding her momentarily. She felt Ian guide her out, though, and she trusted he would steer her true.

O

“What did you do today in school, Hannah?” Ian asked as he lifted her up, causing a fit of giggles that had Louise smiling in enjoyment.

“I colored and painted and played!” Hannah squealed as Ian threw her up into the air again. “Again! Again!”

Louise laughed out loud when Ian groaned, “Oh sweetie, I’m getting too old to do this. Maybe later.” He set her down gently, despite Hannah’s epic pout.

“Don’t break a hip, grandpa.” Louise chided from where she was settled in an armchair. Ian shot her an exasperated look to which Louise simply answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Are you hungry?” Ian asked Hannah instead, effectively cutting off the growing litany of requests for more flying.

“Yes!” Hannah cried out, changing tactics quickly to pull Ian’s hand towards the kitchen. Louise nearly considered getting up to help, but Ian looked too happy pulling out all the ingredients for a sandwich, so Louise sat back, content to watch the pair. 

“Can I make a sandwich for Mommy?” Hannah asked as they began constructing their monstrosity of a lunch.

“I don’t think it’s going to taste very good by the time she eats it, sweetie.” Ian told her as he handed her some slices of tomato. Hannah was getting very crafty with the designs of her layers.

“Oh, okay.” Hannah replied, unbothered.

O

Louise woke up to her phone ringing. She opened her eyes blearily, trying to get the screen in focus for a few endless seconds, but finally she realized she just didn’t recognize the number. She considered ignoring it, but she vaguely remembered that this was an important phone call, so she swiped to answer.

“Hello?” Her throat was dry with sleep so she coughed to clear it.

“Dr. Banks, this is Officer Mendes from the Richmond Police Department. We have Ian Donnelly in custody here. We found your name and number in his wallet. Do you know this man?”

Louise slowly propped herself up, switching the phone to her other ear so she could pay more attention. “Richmond? Umm, yes, yes I know him. He’s my husband. Ex-husband. Is he okay?” Her heart pounded with the endless and awful possibilities that her mind started conjuring up.

The tinny reply broke her train of thought, “He was arrested for vandalism and public intoxication. Would you like to come down to the station for him?”

“Yes, yes, I’ll come over.” Louise hung up and took a breath.

It felt like a surreal dream as she quickly grabbed some clothes and her keys, and made her way down to the station. She’d finally taken a look at the clock, and wasn’t surprised by how early it was— it certainly felt early as she walked into the mostly deserted building. Not all of the lights were on, and the surrounding darkness felt stale and suspended in time.

 She was directed to the police officer in charge who greeted her cordially. “He’s not as drunk as he was when he came in, but he’s still not making too much sense.”

“What did he break?” Louise asked, sitting down when the officer gestured at an empty seat in front of him.

“He didn’t actually break anything.” The officer told her. “He was throwing bottles and rocks at one of those Heptapod memorial statues, lots of disorderly conduct. Honestly, he seemed more like a danger to himself than anyone, but we had to bring him in when he started throwing glass at one of the officers on patrol.”

“I’m so sorry.” Louise offered, tightening her sweater around her. She regretted not bringing something warmer.

The officer sat down in his chair and tiredly put his elbows on his knees, his fingers forming a steeple under his chin.

“Dr. Banks, we really don’t want to charge him. I’m aware of who you and Dr. Donnelly are,” Louise looked up at that, meeting his gaze while he continued, “and I’m aware of…the loss… that both of you have suffered in the past year.

Louise averted her gaze at that, and the officer straightened up a little bit. “I know what it feels like to have lost someone, and it’s not easy. I understand.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry.” Louise croaked out, her throat tight with emotion. The officer’s face expression was pinched with empathy.

“We can let him go into your custody, Dr. Banks. But that’s the most I can do. If he winds up back here, I’m going to have to charge him officially. And I really don’t want to do that, especially not with the anniversary tomorrow. Well, technically today. It’s a national holiday, ma’am, and I don’t like to do work on holidays.” He offered a tentative smile, and Louise couldn’t help but smile back, relief flooding through her at the knowledge that Ian would be released.

“Thank you very much, Officer. You don’t understand how much I appreciate this.”

“Just see that he gets whatever help he needs. And maybe celebrate today a little more mellow, huh?”

“Will do, Officer.”

He nodded and then pulled out some paperwork that he then helped her go through quickly.

Soon, the police officer was directing her to the cell where Ian was being held. Unfortunately, her brief conversation with the officer hadn’t truly prepared her for what was waiting for her. Louise’s eyes widened at the state Ian was in.

The past year had obviously taken its toll on Ian, only to culminate to this, tonight, with the anniversary of the Heptapods coming to Earth.

His shirt was torn and damp, ignorant of the blanket that had been draped over his shoulders. There were mysterious stains on his jeans, and he was missing his shoes and socks, his toes curled against the cold. He was curled in on himself on top of a plastic bench, eyes half-lidded, slurring out unintelligible sentences that were occasionally punctuated with a rising shout. One of his arms was extended over the bench to hang out in open air, and he kept twisting his hand, as if he was inspecting his fingers and palm intently. His eyes didn’t track the movement, though, and he looked pale and sweaty, even though shivers would travel through him at intermittent intervals. Dark circles looked permanent under his bloodshot eyes, and he appeared thin, too thin to be healthy. He looked sick, and Louise loathed the comparisons her mind kept bringing up.

“Ian?” Louise called out gently. He didn’t seem to hear her. The officer behind her quietly had the guard open the cell door and she walked inside, crouching right in front of Ian so she was at eye level. She caught his hand mid-twist and carefully held him, squeezing softly, “Ian? It’s me, Louise.”

Finally, that seemed to get his attention, and he turned his head more towards her. He blinked a few times, eyebrows creasing as he looked right at Louise in confusion. Eventually, though, recognition seemed to set in, and he broke out into a wide and dopey grin. It looked wrong, though, Louise knew.

“Louiiiise,” He slurred out her name, and Louise couldn’t help the huff of laughter that escaped her.

“Hey there, math nerd. How are you feeling?” She squeezed his hand again, and this time he squeezed back.

It took him a moment to mull over the question, eyes blinking slowly as if to put Louise into focus. She waited patiently until his smile slipped and settled into a frown. “I’m sad, Louise. And angry.”

“Yeah, I know.” Louise sighed as she gently brushed her fingers through his greasy hair, her own emotions rising up to reciprocate.

“I want her back.” He whispered, real pain bleeding through his muted reactions. He gripped Louise harder then, his other hand coming up to grasp their entwined hands as well.

Louise swallowed hard, sniffling before whispering back, “I want her back too.”

O

Stifled giggles woke her up. As sleep receded, she couldn’t help but laugh to herself as she listened to the pair of voices failing at being stealthy while coming up the stairs. She knew what day it was, and she knew she already loved whatever surprise they had waiting for her.

The doorknob handle turned so carefully, and Louise closed her eyes to feign sleep. She couldn’t help but peeking though her eyelashes, though, and watched as Ian and Hannah came tiptoeing across the room, Hannah giggling like mad. She waited until Ian helped Hannah onto the bed and started crawling over to Louise’s side before opening her eyes and sitting up, shouting, “Boo!”

Ian and Louise both started cracking up at Hannah’s surprised face and subsequent hysterical laughing, especially when Louise started tickling her.

“You thought you could sneak up on me? Think again!” Louise cried out dramatically as she chased after her daughter across the bed.

“Daddy! Daddy! Save me!” Hannah squealed when Louise caught her by the ankles and dragged her closer.

Ian was still laughing, crawling up from the foot of the bed to reach out just as dramatically, hand extended, trying to answer Hannah’s desperate bid for escape.

“You’re too far away!” Ian called out, settling down on his side of the bed while Louise cackled jokingly.

“You’re mine! All mine!” Hannah shrieked with joy as Louise pulled her closer and started dropping kisses everywhere she could reach.

“You can never escape, you’re all mine.” Louise growled between kisses and blowing raspberries, making Hannah laugh even harder.

“Mommy, no, wait! Mommy!” Hannah gasped out between bright peals of laughter. “I hafta say something!”

Louise dropped a kiss on her forehead before pulling back. “What, my child? What could you possibly say that would stop my attacks?”

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Hannah shrieked, lunging herself into Louise’s arms.

Louise automatically tightened her hold to hug her daughter, “Well, aren’t you lucky. You figured out the right password!”

“Mommy, we have a surprise for you downstairs!” Hannah pulled back and started bouncing in place before reaching forward to grab Louise’s hand and tugging her across the bed.

Louise turned to raise an eyebrow at Ian’s amused face. Ian simply shrugged conspiratorially before leaning over to kiss Louise.

“Happy Mother’s Day.” He murmured against her lips.

O

Louise woke up in her bed, tangled in sheets. The dawn light that filtered through the windows was muted with the grey clouds overhead and the receding mist over the water. The house was eerily quiet, and Louise hated it.

She laid there for a moment, her mind blank and static, just watching the formless clouds moving sluggishly across the sky. A chill crept under the covers and she wrapped herself up tighter, wondering idly if the cold had woken her up. It was then that she remembered Ian.

She had brought him home last night, staggering and uncoordinated while Louise struggled to keep him up and walking far enough to land on the couch. As soon as he was down, though, he had pulled Louise on top of him and held her. Nothing else, just his arms wrapped around her. She hadn’t had the strength to pull away, not when she’d been dreaming of being in his arms just one more time. She especially wouldn’t move when he started crying into her hair, silently shaking in his raw grief.

She had stayed right where she was when she started crying too, the heartache of the past year breaking down any defenses she had managed to build.

He had fallen asleep eventually, his embrace slackening enough for her to extricate herself and escape to her room.

Now, she pushed herself up, letting the sheets pool around her hips. The air was chilly, so she bent over to pick up the same sweater she’d had last night. It was bunched up and inside out from where she had carelessly dropped it before, and she spent a minute fixing it before putting it on, her skin pebbling in cold at the first touch. It didn’t take long for it to warm up, though, and so she made her way out of her bedroom and down the stairs.

The couch was empty with a couple of pillows laying haphazardly along the cushions. A glance to the kitchen island revealed a glass of water half-full. Next to it was an empty bowl.

Out of instinct, Louise looked out the window and down to the shore. She wasn’t surprised to see Ian down there, sitting by himself along the waterline. She tightened her sweater and moved away from the window to search her hall closet for some more warm clothing. There was an old sweater of Ian’s that had never made it out of the house, so she pulled that one down, as well as another, thicker sweater for herself.

Louise put on her sweater, and with Ian’s slung over her arm, she made her way out of the house. The short walk down to the lake didn’t take long. Ian made no move to indicate he’d heard her coming, but he didn’t startle when Louise sat down next to him. It was rocky and cold underneath, but at least it wasn’t wet just yet— the tide was low and a few feet ahead of where Ian had chosen to stay.

Louise handed over Ian’s sweater. He took it without looking, settling it in his lap. His gaze was locked onto the placid waves the lake provided. The fog was still moving, but it was further out on the water than before. The sky was still clouded grey.

Ian still looked like shit, worse, even, in the natural light. He looked like he hadn’t been eating as much as he should have, and Louise’s heart ached for him.

“It’s a little cold out.” Louise broke the silence, gently prompting Ian to bundle up.

He looked down at the sweater he was still holding, as if surprised he still had it. After another moment, he finally slipped it on, pulling the hood back when it got stuck up. “Thanks,” he murmured.

They sat there for a long time, both of them watching the tide and birds that wandered by.

Ian broke the silence, whispering, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Louise knew exactly what Ian’s apology entailed. She also knew that she had forgiven him long ago. Or maybe she never had to forgive him in the first place.

In lieu of answering him, Louise simply reached out her hand and grabbed his. Immediately he held her hand, bony fingers slipping through hers to interlock tightly.

“Five years ago you told me what was going to happen. And for four of those years I couldn’t bear to…watch her go through… it.” Ian took a shuddering breath. “I regret it, Louise. I regret not being with her more, being with you.” His voice cracked, “I made the wrong choice.”

Louise looked at him and saw tears shining as they rolled down his cheeks. She slid closer to him and adjusted their grip on each other.

“Come back to me, Ian. Come home.” Louise rested her temple against his shoulder, looking back out at the water.

“Did you see me coming back?” Ian asked, voice wet. She let the question hang in the air as she kept her eyes trained on the small waves. When she didn’t answer, Ian let out a long breath and nodded, tilting his head to rest against hers.

O

They were laying together in bed, watching the waves lap soundlessly at the shore through the window. It was a lazy morning, with any chores or responsibilities being pushed away, out of sight and out of mind. They were simply enjoying the day, dozing on and off, always keeping a point of contact between them, whether it was a hand on a thigh, or a toe on a calf. Now, though, Ian had an arm slung over her stomach, his face pressed against her side with his nose puffing gentle breaths of air against her ribs. His fingers curled absentminded patterns against her opposite ribs. He was so at ease and calm that Louise put down her book just to card her fingers in his hair, appreciating the low, happy sound that Ian made at the contact.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually she broke the tranquil silence.

“I’m pregnant.”

Louise wondered when she would stop feeling guilty for making Ian cry.

O

“You’re spoiling me too much!” Louise laughed as Ian poured her the rest of the wine. She felt pleasantly sated with the fantastic meal Ian had cooked her as well as now two bottles of wine they had put away between the both of them.

“What can I say, I suck at talking to people, but I’m still a romantic at heart.” Ian smiled crookedly and waved the bottle, indicating he was going to throw it away.

Louise snickered into her wine glass as he walked back towards the kitchen, humming in agreement. “That you most definitely are, math nerd.” She heard him gasp in mock offense and didn’t bother looking back, already knowing he was probably making a silly face. Instead, she hooked her ankle around the legs of the chair in front of her and brought it closer so she could prop her feet up on the seat. The table was mostly cleared away, just a few dishes remaining. She felt loose and happy, content with the nice dinner she’d just had. There was a bright full moon shining down on the lake beyond the dining room windows, making the waves catch and sparkle in the glow. A light breeze rolled in from one of the open windows, feeling great on her warm skin.

“If anyone is the nerd here, it’s most definitely you.” Ian started, walking back to the table. Louise perked her head up and grinned when she saw Ian had put on his glasses. He came up right next to her and bent over to drop a kiss on her lips. He laughed when she tried to deepen the kiss, though, and pulled back.

“Hold on, I have a question for you I keep forgetting to ask.”

That perked Louise’s interest. “What’s up?”

“One of the other sites sent in a Heptapod B picture in, saying they needed help translating it. Something about unique words with a strange meaning? I don’t know, I figured you might have a better idea understanding it.”

“That’s weird. I haven’t heard anyone talk about a strange translation. And most of the other sites have figured out how to translate them on their own. Who was it?”

Ian grabbed the picture that he had put on the kitchen island, saying, “I don’t remember. Here, try it out. Read it aloud for me?”

Louise set her wineglass down and took the picture from Ian. Setting her feet down and sitting up straight, she concentrated on the symbols, picking out the common words quickly.

“Let’s see, we have: future, big, we, everlasting, unity, home, two, entwined…family…” Louise trailed off as realization started dawning on her, “and happiness. Ian, this is a question, this is…” Louise set the picture down and turned around in her chair only to gasp when she saw Ian on one knee.

“Louise, will you marry me?” He had a ring in a box, and the most hopeful look on his face, and Louise couldn’t help tearing up immediately, heart swelling with love and joy.

“Yes,” She whispered, barely able to make a sound, “Yes, I will!”

Ian’s face lit up brighter than anything Louise had ever seen. Not able to stand being so far apart, she slid out of her chair to hug him at the same time he started to rise up towards her. The end result was Louise unbalancing Ian, toppling them both onto the ground, laughing breathlessly as they started kissing each other excitedly.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Louise promised between each kiss, while Ian giggled like a child, holding her tightly.

O

“Do you know? Do you know her future? Our future with her?” Ian asked blankly, not looking at Louise.

“Does it matter?” Louise wondered wearily.

“It’s a burden, isn’t it? Knowing and anticipating and living it all at the same time.” At Louise’s silence he continued, “You know the story’s ending every time, like words printed on a book. They never change. Not unless you rip out the pages.” He let out an audible breath.

Louise let the silence hang for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain herself. “It’s still a good book, Ian.” He looked up at her, expression tired. “It’s still a really good book. Sure, it’s going to have chapters you don’t like as much. They’re going to hurt, and it’s going to suck.” Louise’s voice hitched slightly, but she kept pushing through, “You’ll wonder why you even picked up the book in the first place. But if you keep reading, you’ll get back to the good parts, and you’ll remember why it’s your favorite book in the first place. It’s your book, Ian. Every chapter, every page. And it’s a really good book.”

Louise held her hands out helplessly, feeling like she had given it her last shot.

Ian didn’t talk. He was quiet as he thought about it, making Louise wonder if anxiety could drown a person.

Eventually, Ian looked up and closed the distance between them, his hands coming up to pull Louise’s towards him, until she was sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped around her frame.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “For everything.”

They sat together like that for a long time, watching the small waves rolling softly against the rocks. Louise wondered if they just turned the page onto a new chapter.

O

“Shhh, she just went down.” Louise whispered as soon as Ian came into the nursery. He had his arms behind his back, hiding something.

“I come bringing gifts.” Ian whispered back. Louise beckoned him towards the crib, curious to see what he had brought this time. She didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because Ian came right on over, sliding one arm around her waist to pull her in for a kiss. Breaking the kiss, he brought his other hand around and revealed his prize.

It was a plush bird. A beanie baby.

“It was the closest I could find to our little friend we’d bring with us in our sessions. Remember?”

Louise definitely remembered. She still sometimes heard its call, in dreams.

“I love it. Our little early warning sign. To protect her.”

Ian nodded, “And to remind her that mommy is a badass who went face to face with close encounters of the third kind.”

“Hey,” Louise protested half-heartedly, smacking him lightly in the chest.

“I think it’s fitting. A bird, too.”

“It’s definitely fitting. Thank you, Ian.”

O

“Daddy, what does my name mean?”

“Well, your name has a couple of meanings, sweetie.” Ian responded as he tucked her into bed. Louise sat down at the foot of the bed.

“In Hebrew, the name ‘Chava’ means ‘life’ or ‘living one’, which we thought was a beautiful sentiment for you. Your name is just a short form of that.” Louise explained as she rubbed her daughter’s feet that poked at her from under the covers.

“What’s the other meaning?” She asked, eyes open wide in curiosity. Ian chuckled and answered, “It also comes from the Latin word ‘avis’ which means ‘bird.’ And you’re definitely our little bird, aren’t you?” Ian dropped down to blow a raspberry on her neck and she squealed in mirth.

“But do you want to know something even better about your name?” Louise asked when Ian pulled back.

“What? What is it?”

“Your name is also a palindrome. Do you know what that means?”

An adorable frown and headshake prompted Louise to explain, “It means it can be read the same going forward or backward. Isn’t that amazing?”

“I love it!”

Ian chuckled and kissed her on the forehead, “I’m glad you do, Ava.”

O

“Do you think she’ll have your eyes or mine?” Ian wondered, ear pressed up against Louise’s swelling belly while a hand rubbed gently.

“Babe, we both have blue eyes.”

“Ehh, mine are more green than blue.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” Louise grinned as Ian changed positions a little bit, trying to hear better.

“Whose hair do you think she’ll have?”

“Mine. But she’ll have your nose.”

“Oh god, I hope not.” Ian shuddered dramatically. Louise laughed, and when that caused a kick, Ian exclaimed, “She moved! She moved, just now!”

“That’s our baby.” Louise whispered in awe.

“I can’t wait to meet you, Hannah.” Ian murmured against Louise’s skin.

O

Louise and Ian both entered the room quietly, only to see Ava sitting up with the baby in her arms.

“Oh my god,” Louise breathed, “She’s beautiful. Congratulations, baby.”

“Thanks mom.” Ava replied quietly, adjusting the baby that started fussing slightly.

Ian’s hand squeezed hers tightly. “How are you doing?” He asked Ava.

Ava offered a tired smile, “I’m okay, dad. This one was pretty eager to come out and meet everyone.”

“Even the nurses were surprised by how fast the delivery was.” A new voice came from behind them. Louise and Ian turned around.

“Gary! Congratulations, honey.” Louise gushed as she hugged her son-in-law.

“Thank you.” He walked over to the other side of Ava’s bed and offered her a glass of water with a straw, which Ava took gratefully. The baby started fussing again, and opened her eyes, too big for her face.

“She’s got your eyes, Gary.” Louise noticed, smiling when the baby turned her face towards her. Louise took a step close to the bed to run her hand over the tiny wisps of hair, feeling the gentle softness of it. Ian moved closer to the bed as well, and reached a hand out towards his granddaughter as well.

“Did you decide on a name yet?” Ian asked, carefully stroking the baby’s hand with a single finger.

“We decided to name her Hannah. After Ava’s sister.” Gary responded, looking fondly at his family.

“Hannah.” Louise said, tears in her eyes. She didn’t have to look to know Ian had tears in his eyes as well. “That’s perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to thank this movie for allowing me to write this fic in as non-sequential as I usually think when it comes to fic stories. Also, I fucking loved this movie. Let me know how much you loved it too because I need more people to talk about it with :D


End file.
